Wilmington, Ohio – The first $30,000 Grand Prix of the year took center stage in the Standlee Sanctuary Saturday evening during Winter Classic 5 at World Equestrian Center – Wilmington. A field of competitive horse-and-rider partnerships set the scene for a thrilling night of show jumping over tracks designed by FEI Level III course designer Anderson Lima.
Izzy Beisel dominated competition with her top mounts, securing both featured wins of the day. Aboard David Beisel’s Vegas H, she led the victory gallop for the $30,000 Grand Prix.
“It was a great day. It was so much fun. I didn’t have super high expectations going into the week because it was the first week back and it was so cold at home before we came. They both love doing it so much and they try their hardest for whatever I tell them to do, whether it is a bareback ride or jumping the grand prix,” said Beisel.
Beisel returned in the middle of the pack for the jump-off and made her plan after Luke Rinehart set the pace.
“I watched Luke [Rinehart] go and I knew I needed to be efficient and have some smooth turns,” Beisel shared about her jump-off plan with ‘Vegas.’
“After the in-and-out he got a little bit slow, so I just wanted to keep him going through the turns and give it my best shot. He has such a big step that I was able to go up the last line and that made the difference.”
With the 12-year-old Hanoverian gelding, Beisel crossed the timers in 36.962 seconds for her second win of the day to clinch the lion’s share of prize money.
Sam Pegg earned the red ribbon with his new addition, Casadimo (Cachas x Orissa S), a 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding, in 37.274 seconds.
Luke Rinehart rounded out the top three with his 11-year-old Hanoverian gelding, Captain America 10 (Contendro), to ultimately land third place in 39.246 seconds.
$30,000 Grand Prix Results:
1 Vegas H, Izzy Beisel, David Beisel | 0 | 36.962
2 Casadimo, Sam Pegg, Sam Pegg | 0 | 37.274
3 Captain America 10, Luke Rinehart, Catherine Rinehart | 0 | 39.246
4 La Belle SCF, Summer Justus, Andrea Simpson | 0 | 39.348
5 Get Go, Rebecca Gutstein, Pinetree Farms INC | 0 | 40.333
6 Formidable Diamant, Sam Pegg, Harlow Investment Enterprises LLC | 4 | 38.494
7 Liber T, Molly Kindness, Mole Hill LTD | 4 | 41.263
8 Cruemmel 3, Trinity Beitler, Trinity Creek Farms INC | 8 | 39.944
9 Masoranta, Rebecca Gutstein, Rebecca Gutstein | 8 | 44.564
10 Nightshade SCF, Sarah Meier, Sarah Meier | 12 | 40.1
Beisel & Diaz Barbotiere Snag $10,000 Futures Prix Win of Winter Classic 5
Twenty-two horse-and-rider combinations met at the Standlee Sanctuary for the $10,000 Futures Prix to kick off show jumping competition for 2025 at WEC – Wilmington. Izzy Beisel picked up where she left off in 2024, snagging the win to start her season.
As the sixth to go in the posted order, Sarah Sturges held the lead for the majority of the class with her own Labyrinth (Zirocco Blue VDL x Warone). The nine-year-old American Warmblood gelding has been consistently in the top three in the class, crossing the timers in 39.165 seconds to secure another top finish.
Beisel entered at the bottom of the order with her quickest mount, Diaz Barbotiere (Messire Ardent x Quambera Barbotiere), to contest Sturges’ leading time.
The 12-year-old Selle Francias gelding impressed with his natural footspeed once again to cross the timers in 37.051 seconds to snag the lead and move Sturges into second.
“I think I made up time to the last jump in the jump-off. In the first round, he walked the first line so nicely that I was thinking of doing the leave out, but I wanted to go slower than normal! He is just always so game to land and gallop; it makes him so fast,” Beisel noted.
Beisel laughed as she attributed her success to her recent snow days on the farm, “I took Diaz out in the snow on Monday to play and I have to say he has been the quietest he has ever been. I guess that was the trick to win!”
Sam Pegg rounded out the top three aboard Harlow Investment Enterprises LLC’s seven-year-old Holsteiner mare, Casey H (Cassin x D’arielle), in 39.975 seconds.
$10,000 Futures Prix Results:
1 Diaz Barbotiere, Izzy Beisel, Izzy Beisel | 0 | 37.051
2 Labyrinth, Sarah Sturges, Sarah Sturges LLC | 0 | 39.165
3 Casey H, Samuel Pegg, Harlow Investment Enterprises LLC | 0 | 39.975
4 HJ Blind Date, Molly Kindness, Molly Kindness | 0 | 40.494
5 Spicebomb, Sarah Meier, Sarah Meier | 0 | 40.515
6 Amarena Z, Haley Dietrich, Airborne Stud LLC | 0 | 41.126
7 Miss Cloe Z, Elizabeth Naber, Elizabeth Naber | 0 | 41.922
8 Envol D’elle, Graham Morgan, Graham Morgan | 4 | 37.509
9 Horales, Dan Kreitl, Kay Dixon | 4 | 37.795
10 Pimpernel De Mariposa, Charlotte Clark, Charlotte Clark | 4 | 39.323